In the next post, we can probably expect some deep dive into toxic masculinity...🤣
I have to admit, I’m completely lost as to what you guys are even talking about. It isn't just you, John Fowler2—with all this "woke bullshit" and "toxic masculinity" talk—but Anthony Wood3 as well... I just don't get it...
The reason I put up that first post was because of an article I came across by this journalist. She was basically describing how she was harassed and chased out of the venue, even though she actually had a ticket... I'm just catching up on everything... feels like there's always something happening, isn't there?). From what I’ve gathered, he hasn't denied any of this—not in public, and certainly not here on the forums. If anything, Lawrence Mitchell2, who seems to actually have his finger on the pulse of this situation, went as far as to write quite bluntly:
Give me a break. Some idiot drove right into the middle of the pit, and when we politely asked her to clear out, she actually had the nerve to act offended...
. If she was somewhere she wasn't supposed to be, that’s one thing, but the text clearly states she was just part of a group of acquaintances. It doesn't change the fact that kids being encouraged by older folks, or even other spectators and fans, gives them absolutely no right to interfere—let alone resort to insults or threats. There are specific people authorized to maintain order and enforce the rules of the venue. Fans are NOT those people, nor have they ever been, regardless of what you might think...
Lawrence Mitchell2 said:Give me a break. Some idiot wandered right into the middle of the pit, they politely asked her to move, and then she acted all offended...
? Into the middle of what exactly? If she actually had a ticket for the area where the trouble started, then I can only see two groups to blame—either the people who chased her out, if everything in this article is true, which seems pretty low-class, or the police for letting it happen in the first place.
Wait, is this actually for real? If it is, those actors should be absolutely mortified. It’s a shame the police didn't just haul them all out in handcuffs along with those little tantrums they were throwing.
For a few days now, Sweden has been seeing some intense demonstrations where radical extremists have been setting fires, throwing stones at police cruisers, and just generally tearing up property.
From what I can gather, some politician or columnist decided to make a point about how immigrants struggle to integrate with the Scandinavian way of life by announcing they’d publicly burn the Quran. Predictably, the reaction was exactly what you'd expect... The mob, shouting allahu akbar, starts torching things and pelting officers with rocks while the police just stand there helplessly, watching their cars get smashed before eventually retreating.🤣
rowdytiger13 said:Honestly, how detached from reality do you have to be to not even stop and ask yourself, "Wait, why aren't even my usual allies backing me up?" Even Kazakhstan refused to send troops, and they're supposed to be a loyal ally.
It actually makes perfect sense that they didn't deploy their military. Aside from their ties to Russia Kazakhstan, they also maintain solid relationships with Ukraine... which matters.
To put this in perspective, imagine if Albania were at "war" with Mexico and trying to absorb it into their own territory. They’d want to integrate the Albanian regions directly, while turning the areas with Mexican populations into some sort of vassal state under their thumb. Naturally, Mexico would jump right in to support Mexico, seeing a golden opportunity to reclaim the land. If the Albanians came to us asking for military assistance, we'd tell them no, of course...
To’s one word for it—a total disaster. It’s painfully obvious who benefits from this mess. There were missteps taken from multiple sides, likely intentional ones designed to let things escalate, and well, here we are. In some perfect world, Russia would be part of the EU because, historically and culturally, they belong there. That would be the ideal scenario: a Europe that actually rivals the USA and China in terms of global prestige and influence. In the short term, the USA takes the biggest win, but long-term? It's China's game—especially if they just sit on the sidelines playing it cool while Putin wraps this whole thing up in his favor over the next few months.
Then you have Putin's demands. If the reports are even accurate—and frankly, they sound absurd—he wants Ukraine "denazified" (seriously, what kind of insane logic is that???) and "demilitarized." As for the latter, if that means having no military presence on Ukrainian soil, no sovereign nation on this planet would ever agree to that. It's completely irrational.😵 And don't even get me started on those alleged threats against Sweden and Finland for wanting to join NATO.😵
Look, I get it: Biden is an old man struggling with dementia, and it's honestly sad to see him acting as a puppet for whoever is pulling the strings behind the scenes because he just isn't capable anymore. But Putin? You have to hand it to him for pulling Russia out of that post-Soviet hole it fell into under Yeltsin. But now? He's acting like he suddenly hit a massive growth spurt fueled by pure testosterone, imagining himself as some sort of modern-day Alexander the Great or Caesar... or whatever the Russian version of those guys is. Claiming that Ukraine has no historical right to exist... I mean, it’s all just deeply shocking, really.
hollowmason64 said:Well, obviously not... because was she even fighting for this? 🙂
The kid was working through some student services back in the day. ☕
Just another flashy Republican hack—the mayor of Fresno... an employee of the city who worked on European Union projects left town and started her own firm. Naturally, that firm signed a contract with the city, so now she’s doing the exact same jobs for the municipality, just for slightly higher paychecks. 🤣
I mean, let's be real—there isn't a single way on this planet to embezzle funds without some Republicans trying their hand at it. 🙏
Those folks over on Telegram are honestly a godsend. I can say with total confidence that I've been a paid subscriber since the very beginning, and it's easily the best money I've ever spent. 🥳
Now, this might not even be connected to criminal activity at all.😉
I know of several other instances where a highly competent professional finally hits their breaking point—usually because they’re stuck working for a bunch of incompetents who spend all day messing around, have zero chance for promotion, constantly belittle them, or just "sweep them under the rug" whenever they dare to ask an uncomfortable question. So, they leave a government agency, start their own firm (or join a private competitor doing the exact same thing), and essentially continue performing the same specialized work they did as a civil servant, only now they're making a much higher salary.
In a functional society, you’d actually ask why things reached a point where such a capable person felt the need to leave in the first place, but here, the attitude is just... well, screw 'em.whatever...
I have a few questions regarding dental imaging, specifically panoramic X-rays and CT scans. I recently visited a local dental clinic for a panoramic X-ray, but they didn't provide me with a lead apron or any kind of shielding. When I asked why, the dental assistant told me that since they use this "new, modern, computerized" equipment—whatever that implies—a lead apron isn't necessary. I wasn't entirely convinced by the answer, but I was in a bit of a rush at the time...😵
A friend of mine went to that same clinic recently for a CT scan, and he mentioned they didn't use any protective shielding for him either. I suspect his "explanation" would have been more of the same. I'm trying to wrap my head around what's actually going on here. Is this process involving radionuclides or ionizing radiation? And if it is, why aren't they using the standard safety precautions that seem to be common practice for these types of scans?
When you look at the long game, picking up gold bars in those smaller increments—like the 20g pieces, an ounce, or maybe 50g—usually isn't as smart as just grabbing coins instead. And what about platinum? It’s sitting there looking pretty cheap compared to gold right now, which could mean some serious upside if it catches up... but then you have to factor in the sales tax, which really messes with your math.👎
Andrew Wright2 said:Every parent knows what's best for their kid—they're the ones actually living it.
Same here. My kid, my headache. Not the government's, not anyone else's. When things go south, like with health issues or whatever, nobody else is gonna jump in to save the day.
And look, this isn't some weird obsession or me just making excuses. It's straight from experience after dealing with our broken-down school system.
Latest disaster? Our local elementary school. My kid spent the whole year coasting with Cs, learning absolutely nothing and just being a total nuisance in class. Then, right at the end of the term, suddenly he's pulling Bs. The teachers basically handed him those grades just so they could be done with him.
So you've got these "experts"—yeah, right—who are supposed to be shaping kids' futures. They have all these resources like tutoring and specialized programs, yet my son didn't see a single bit of help or an adapted curriculum all year. But sure, under the watchful eye of the principal, the counselor, and the school psychologist, they just gift him passing grades to clear their desks.
"Experts"!!
Honestly, that’s just plain nonsense. More often than not, it’s the parents who have a totally skewed perception of their child—usually because they’re busy idealizing them. I spent some time working in the public school system, so I can offer you one🤦
Personally, I don't see any reason to delay a child starting school if they're healthy and ready. I was born in mid-August, and my doctor gave me the green light to start first grade when I was about six and a half. Aside from being the smallest kid in class until I hit 12 or 13, I didn't deal with any other issues. My handwriting was a mess at first, but that cleared up by second grade. Academically, I performed way above average throughout my school years. So... there's no benefit to keeping a kid "little" longer by sheltering them. They'll just end up realizing you were being ridiculous once they hit 15 or 16 anyway...😁
I’ve been spending some time lately digging through all these articles about investing—Wall Street, gold, the whole nine yards. To be honest, while Bob was busy handing out a sense for economics and smart investing to everyone else, I must have been looking the other way, because most of this feels like a foreign language to me. I have a question regarding precious metals, though. What is the actual practical difference between buying things like gold or platinum through a brokerage account versus just holding physical cash? Obviously, I get that buying through an account leaves a paper trail of where my money went, but since there aren't any taxes involved here, does that really matter? And if it does, why...?🤔 For instance, if I wanted to pick up some precious metals as something I intend to hold onto for the next twenty years or so—say, around $5,000 worth—what would be the smartest way to go about it? And where should I even look? Or, I could just throw the whole lot into Wall Street. But then again, I don't quite wrap my head around these virtual currencies. If I buy gold, I can actually hold coins or bars in my hand, but with Wall Street... where does it actually live?
stormyhawk99 said:What’s actually the best self-defense martial art for guys who are a bit on the shorter side, especially if you're dealing with shorter limbs? In my book, the strategy should really center on closing the distance, getting into close-quarters combat, and focusing on immobilization—basically finding ways to get inside an opponent's guard to neutralize the reach and size advantage a bigger guy might have. I’ve been weighing Wing Chun against Krav Maga, though I have to admit, Krav Maga doesn't quite sit right with me because of its whole philosophy; I’ve always felt that a martial art should have some kind of spiritual component to it, rather than just being pure utility. Thanks.
Honestly, any style that leans too heavily on the "spiritual" side often becomes questionable once you actually find yourself in a situation where you have to use what you've learned, regardless of how much people talk it up. As for Wing Chun, if you think it has a spiritual component similar to Krav Maga... well, it doesn't really have one at all.🤷 If you're looking for something with a "spiritual" element, you might look into (ki)aikido, Kempo, Tai Chi (though most clubs are just exercise), certain Kung Fu styles, or maybe some Ninjutsu schools...
The article goes into detail about sweat-resistant pigments and techniques, which matters when a UFC fighter has a logo plastered right across their back:
"Plodine Smoked Goods LLC. $17"
The ink might stick until someone scrubs it off with soap, or until the inventory runs out...
😂
Regarding your (hilarious) suggestion,🙏 I find it pretty pathetic whenever a person is forced to turn themselves into a walking billboard for some corporate brand. I actually had a lot of respect for Mike Tyson back in the day when he’d step into the ring wearing plain trunks without any logos. Beyond the whole body paint or tattoo gimmick, the biggest embarrassment is seeing boxers with sponsors on the soles of their shoes—you only really see them when the fighter is lying unconscious on the canvas.🤮 It's just such a shameful level of commercialization...🤮
Sam Roberts said:It was before the morning shift at the local precinct and early afternoon too...
What about everyone else? Come on, you city folks, go do some digging🙂 Neighborhoods I’d probably lean toward—maybe Upper West Side, Downtown, or parts of Brooklyn, maybe even Queens if you stay away from the southern edges😍 I'm not entirely sure which district covers the waterfront park area, but there are plenty of clubs out by the lake too...
Does anyone know if there are any boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA, grappling, BJJ, or Krav Maga clubs in the Los Angeles area that offer training sessions IN THE MORNING? Ideally, I’m looking for something that wraps up by 2:00 PM at the latest...
quietbison3 said:...how effective is that kind of training really, and what’s your take on it? ...
What do you think about its effectiveness when it's baked into a standard UFC training camp?😉 I won't lecture you here; there are probably some actual UFC coaches on this thread who could give you a much better answer, if they feel like it. Have you actually spent time in a gym before, or have you just been hitting the heavy bag at home?
Thomas Wright said:...(unless you happen to be naturally gifted like I am).
Well, aren't we feeling confident today... What makes you so "naturally gifted"? Is it just that you're stubborn enough to headbutt a brick wall and call it progress?
jadebison47 said:Hey, what do you guys think about this pop-up that keeps jumping out on the main page? It’s super annoying—you can't click anything until you find that little X to close it. For me, it keeps redirecting to some random site—not Astra, just other ads, but still—anyway, is there a way to just disable these things entirely? Sorry for the offtopic!
Yeah, there is. If you’re using Firefox, you can just grab an add-on like Adblock Plus (pretty straightforward) or NoScript (a bit more of a headache), or maybe Ghostery if you want to block all those pesky trackers... As for anyone running IE, Chrome, Opera, or Safari, I honestly haven't a clue... You might want to check out the General Discussion or the off-topic subforums; I think a few people were complaining about the same thing a while back...
EDIT: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir.../adblock-plus/ For Firefox
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/d...dilifddb?hl=en For Chrome
https://addons.opera.com/en/extensio...blockforopera/ For Opera
For those still clinging to Internet Explorer: honestly, you probably deserve the hassle for not using a decent browser...😬😳
It’s funny how these things work out, isn't it? You spend all this time looking for patterns, trying to make sense of the noise, and then something small shifts—just a tiny adjustment in perspective—and suddenly the whole picture looks different. I was thinking about that earlier today while staring at nothing in particular... just one of those moments where you realize how much of what we consider "certainty" is actually just habit. Anyway, I suppose that's just how life goes sometimes. We build these elaborate structures in our minds, only to find out they were resting on much thinner ice than we thought... kaže: Can someone give me some advice? I'm thinking about picking up a knee brace... I don't have any real issues with how my knees actually function, but when we get into ground grappling drills, we're constantly moving around on our knees... and I get this stinging sensation on the skin itself. At least, that's how it feels to me... Some people have been coming at me, telling me they wouldn't recommend it at all. Their whole argument is that it might mess with your knee muscles—basically claiming you won't be able to develop them properly, or even worse, that they might start to weaken... I swung by Intersport the other day to test out some Kila compression gear, specifically in a size medium. Honestly, they were so tight I felt like they were cutting off my circulation entirely... and apparently, that’s as large as they go. Is it supposed to feel that restrictive, or should I be hunting for a larger size? I'm still sitting here on the fence about whether I should even pull the trigger on them...
I have no idea what kind of brace you ended up buying... unless it’s one of those medical ones designed specifically for wrecked knees?😁 If you're looking to pick something up, you might want to check out Pride, head over to Maksimirska, or maybe hit up Profightstore... Don't go buying any tourniquets if they’re too small for you. Once you finally manage to get your knee down on the ground, you can just apply compression yourself while you're kneeling and stop the bleeding that way...